Heart Thou Complicated
by BloodyAmbrosia
Summary: Elena is slowly starting to see an unexpected change in Stefan and not necessarily a welcome one, but luckily Damon is there to help in more than one way!... Picks up mainly right after Season 1.
1. Russian Roulette

"_As my life flashes before my eyes  
>I'm wondering will I, ever see another sunrise?<br>So many won't get the chance to say goodbye  
>But it's too late to pick up the value of my life"<em>

_-Russian Roulette by Rihanna_

**Elena's POV**

As the mist tauntingly rolled in around me all I could think of was how cliché Damon's little tricks had turned. I knew he was following me doing his best to stay inconspicuous, but ever since Katherine's reappearance in Mystic falls I've been annoyingly aware of my surroundings. I've never known Damon to be careless of these facts, so the sneaking behind me was probably just a twisted way to get my attention.

"Ok, Mr. Hitchcock," I said with an exhausted tone, "enough with the dramatics."

No answer.

I turned around only to find that the fog had dispersed and the only company I had in the cemetery was lying under tombstones. How ironic, I thought. These days it seemed like the undead were all that surrounded me. I rolled my eyes landing my sight on my diary that had apparently fallen from my hand. Smiling at my absurdity, I picked up the journal and began to turn around and head to my favorite writing spot.

"I must be losing m—" I froze when my gaze led to a pair of black heeled boots in front of me. I slowly looked up afraid of who I was sure to meet.

"… your mind?" Katherine guessed with her usual seductive voice. She had one eyebrow slightly perked up with a confident look about her which was probably due to the fact that she found me without a bodyguard. "I'm sure that won't be the only thing you'll lose." Her passive optimism was hurtful. What Katherine wanted, Katherine usually got. What more do I have to lose, I thought.

"You know Elena, I've realized the situation we've gotten ourselves into isn't exactly fair," She began circling around me, "…for either of us, that is."

"Our situation?" It was kind of a question. I was confident that I kept the shaking out of my voice, but I didn't dare look in her eyes. Instead I made a point of looking straight ahead and at nothing in particular. If I let Katherine know I was afraid of her she would use that to her advantage. That is, if she hadn't already picked up on my incessantly loud heartbeat. I silently cursed supernatural vampire hearing before hearing Katherine's reply.

"The situation of Stefan and Damon of course," she stopped dead in front of me forcing my eyes to meet hers, "They are oblivious to our wants… our _needs_. I think it's time we let them in on the secret."

"Unfortunately, I don't think our wants and needs are the same, Katherine." What was I saying? I should just shut up now, but I couldn't help be a little ticked off. She was treating me like a child, which to her, I guess I was. I hoped my bluntness didn't come off as courage. To my surprise the corner of her mouth came up slightly at my retort. I was only glad I hadn't pissed her off. She was obviously the one in charge here and I wasn't going to pretend otherwise. Yet, she couldn't possibly think I was about to play Russian Roulette with the devil. Before dealing me in, Katherine turned around apparently choosing a more subtle approach this time.

"Maybe not," Katherine continued with a shrug, her voice suddenly darker, "I might not be able to know exactly what you want Elena, but I will tell you what you need."

She didn't have to look into my eyes to know I was listening; my attentive silence gave her the notion to proceed while she played with a piece of hair at my back.

"Better yet, I think I'll just leave that to Damon. I just wanted to give you a forewarning is all," I was confused at what Katherine's real motive was. What was she getting at? I continued to be quiet assuming she'd keep talking the more I kept my mouth shut and I was right.

"You may think you have the Salvatore brothers wrapped around your finger, but you forget that they spent a whole century pining after me. I, unlike you, know exactly what the Salvatore brothers want. In particular… what _Stefan_ wants."

She moved forward only inches away locking her defensive gaze with mine. "Trust me Elena, when it comes down to me and you, I have no doubt that Stefan will choose me in the end. After all, I'm the reason he exists today."

She leaned her head next to my ear and whispered, "You may have been able to fool Stefan for now, but you must realize that this thing between you and him," she looked me up and down emphasizing _thing_ as if it was a dirty word, "it won't last forever."

With that she was gone.

Alright, that was an annoyingly vague message… or threat. Whatever it was it didn't have me any more paranoid than I already was. I didn't bother checking for other visitors on the way to the boarding house. If Katherine wanted me dead it would be done. I finally realized that now.


	2. Contact

**Author's Note**

Hey guys! This is my first fan fic EVER … woo hoo, I finally kicked my butt in gear. Soooo basically I've pulled a lot of stuff from the show and kind of mashed it together with a new story line along with some new ideas by me. I'd love ANY advice or critiques for future chapters. I may decide to do an M rating story that parallels this one, but don't want to get too crazy :p I will see how this one goes.

Comments Please :)

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><p><strong>Katherine's POV<strong>

A triumphant feeling arose in me as I revisited my encounter with Elena in my mind. I could watch the fear grow in Elena's eyes as she felt the inevitable approaching. If my plan was on schedule she should be preparing for the worst right about now. Pretty soon she'll be digging her own grave.

God, how sick it made me feel to know that she held Damon and Stefan's affection so tightly. Of course, Damon was always a little dense, but I'd never understood how Stefan fell for her virtuous crap. He let his emotions get the better of him leaving him vulnerable. I shook off any thought that could have led to me having any blame in the matter and continued to walk along the edge of the woods. I still had one thing Elena would never have enough of and that was time. I just had to be patient.

I arrived at my destination and walked through the oak entryway ignoring an invitation. After all, this boarding house had once been my home too.

Hearing the clinking of glass to the right I moved into the study. I knew Damon heard me come in, but he still faced the fireside so I decided to play along.

"Damon?"

"Stefan's not here, Elena," he replied with an exasperated tone.

I walked down the few steps admiring the way his long black shirt formed around the muscles in his shoulders. Damn, he looks so hot. If I was to act on my impulses I might have thrown myself on top of him right then and there, remind him of what he's forgotten. But that wasn't Elena-esque, so I un-willfully contained myself.

"I was actually looking for you," I said with my best pure and wholesome voice. Damon turned around. I could tell he'd had a few whiskey shots which would make my job easier.

"And what might I help dear little Elena with?" He was being a little curt which was good. The mixture of alcohol he had consumed would keep his guard down.

"Well I…" I looked into his eyes laying it on thick, "I wanted to ask you for a favor."

Damon was about to drink the rest of the contents in his glass, but instead set the alcohol on the edge of the fireplace. He walked up to me resting his hand on the side of my face. He didn't say anything, he just stood there smoldering at me. I'd never seen such tenderness emanate from Damon. Once again the sickening feeling rose inside me.

**Elena's POV**

I had decided to swing by the house and check on Jeremy and Jenna. Katherine's visit had turned out to be harmless, but I wasn't going to take my chances. From now on I planned to take every precaution. I hadn't known what Katherine was capable of for very long, but I started to learn that she preferred the element of surprise. I've heard being her doppelganger didn't help much either.

When I walked in to the kitchen I saw that Jenna was cooking spaghetti and it looked like enough for just one. "Did Jeremy already eat?"

"Oh hey," Jenna spun around with a full glass of red wine that threatened to slosh out of the glass. "Yeah, he said something about having eaten with friends? I don't know. He's been stuck up in his room doing _homework_. I chose not to ask questions." I laughed at Jenna's total lack of concern.

"I just started cooking this. If you're hungry I can add some more noodles." She set down her glass looking through almost every drawer in the kitchen. I walked over next to the stove, grabbed a large plastic spoon from the canister and handed it to her.

"Thanks, but I'm actually going to go change and then head to Stefan's."

She looked at me sheepishly and began to stir. "Okay, well let me know if you change your mind." I headed for the stairs hoping Jeremy _was_ just doing homework.

"Oh Elena!" Jenna called back. I dutifully turned around. "Don't stay out too late. It's a school night." She had obviously been rehearsing that one and was quite proud of herself.

"Okay," I raised my eyebrows at her and once again turned for the stairs smirking at Jenna's efforts to be an actual role model.

**Damon's POV**

I heard someone entering the boarding house, but didn't bother turning. I was sure it was Elena looking for Stefan. Sure enough, the next thing I heard was Elena's voice.

"Damon?"

"Stefan's not here, Elena."

"I was actually looking for you."

I turned around to someone that was obviously **not** Elena for she would never wear anything so provocative. Or would she? I think the Whiskey was starting to take effect since I was imagining Elena in front of me with a black low cut top, skinny jeans, and red heels. No, this was Katherine.

Snapping out of my reverie, I decided to play along with Katherine's scheme. She wouldn't fool me twice.

"And what might I help dear little Elena with?" That question might have been a little too sarcastic.

"Well I…I wanted to ask you for a favor."

I set down my whiskey glass and made my way over to the imposter reaching for her cheek and gently resting my hand there. I noticed her bra visible in the spot between her breasts as the buttons on the top of her blouse all magically happened to be undone. I leaned in as if going in for a kiss, but instead lightly brushed my lips against hers. I felt Katherine's body gravitate towards mine and her hand soon found its way above the rim of my pants. I froze allowing Katherine to run her hand along my stomach. For the first time I heard the fire crackling behind me.

My non-breathe began to get heavier as I felt the immediate need to take lead of Katherine's advances. I could let her keep pretending to be Elena, but then she would think she was being successful in her ploy. And I'm not sure I was sober enough to resist her. _Dammit._ I gently took her bottom lip in mine before I broke us apart. "Elena would never allow herself to be so accessible," I whispered, grabbing the clasp between her breasts. I was not meaning to call her a slut I was just stating a fact.

Katherine pulled away smiling as if my words hadn't even affected her. As my eyes were no longer full of Katherine I now saw that Elena, the **real** Elena, was standing in the entryway to the study. She wore this shocked look on her face which was really uncalled for. I mean really, what did she expect from me?

I was so stunned by Elena's presence though that I didn't have time to react to Katherine's next move. In a split second she was behind Elena with her hand in a tight grip around her throat. "So, Damon... what was that bit about Elena not being so accessible?"


	3. Bang

**Elena's POV**

I walked along the foyer of the boarding house in the direction of Stefan's room, but stopped when I heard voices emanating from the study. I took a couple steps forward to listen for clues, but didn't hear much of anything. I thought I had heard a female voice with Damon which made me kind of nervous. I did not want to walk in on him and his newly acquired house guest. Modesty was certainly not a part of Damon's vocabulary.

I walked up to the entryway of the study and instantly regretted obeying my curiosity. Damon _was_ with a girl. My instinct was telling me to turn and run upstairs, but something here was not quite right.

Oh my g—. The mystery girl was Katherine! My stomach felt uneasy and a little hollow. It wasn't the normal sickening feeling you got when you saw your sworn enemy and/or doppelganger standing in front of you in one of the only places you felt safe. No. I felt betrayed.

The sentiment was soon squashed though when another feeling quickly overwhelmed me, the feeling of Katherine's grip along my throat. It felt like several minutes had passed and I felt myself fighting to stay conscious. This was it. Katherine was going to kill me.

"Katherine," I heard Damon's voice heed a warning.

"Don't worry Damon," I knew Katherine was right behind me yet her voice sounded so far away, "I won't hurt your precious Elena. Just because I don't love you doesn't mean I want you to be unhappy."

As soon as she spoke those last words I felt myself falling.

**Damon's POV**

Elena's eyelids fluttered from Katherine's grip around her neck. My insides twisted as I watched her fight consciousness.

"Katherine," I warned her. All I could do was look at her, hoping she wouldn't snap Elena's neck. I couldn't move. If I made any motion towards the pair Elena would be dead. All I could do now was plead with my eyes which seemed to be futile. Stefan was going to kill me if anything happened to Elena. Hell, I would probably stake myself.

"Don't worry, Damon. I won't hurt your precious Elena. Just because I don't love you doesn't mean I don't want you to be happy," And with that Katherine pushed Elena away from her and down the few short steps into the study.

I moved as fast as I could to catch Elena before she hit the ground. Gratefully, I saw her eyes open. I turned my attention back to Katherine only to find that she had disappeared.

"I'm sorry, Damon." I ignored Elena's comment and her weak struggle as I lifted her up to my chest. "Damon?"

"Don't be such a martyr, Elena. There's nothing to be sorry for."

I set her on the couch by the fire and went to grab some ice above the liquor cabinet.

I couldn't look at Elena directly, but I could feel her worried gaze on me. I continued to gather ice trying to distract myself from what she would surely want to talk about, and that was Katherine. No matter what I did I couldn't get away from the self righteous bitch. I didn't like that Katherine seemed to be still here even after her body left.

I sat in a chair opposite Elena wrapping the ice in a towel completely frustrated with the whole situation. I looked up to see her staring at the flames dying in the fireplace. The marks on her neck were already starting to become visible. I walked over with the towel in hand and gently placed it on Elena's neck, careful not to encourage the bruises.

At first she didn't register my touch, but then, as if it shouldn't be allowed, she took the towel in her own hands wincing as she pressed it to her neck. I started to walk away willing to give her some room. I probably needed to find Stefan anyway.

I turned one last time to look at Elena.

"Katherine won't be coming back here anytime soon. You should be safe."

**Stefan's POV**

I had lost track of Katherine's scent somewhere along the border of the woods. She had apparently doubled back and left me with no real trail to follow. I knew it was stupid to go after her without Damon, but at the time there was no way I could stand to take him along. Not with the way he'd been looking at Elena lately. Of course, I was just being stupid and jealous. Nothing would ever come between me and Elena. She had assured me of that multiple times without my even asking. And even though my search had come up empty tonight, it was good that I got to clear my head.

I had left my window open in case I still wanted to avoid Stefan when I got back. I jumped through it closing the frame behind me. Next, I shrugged out of my jacket and grabbed a clean shirt. Getting off the dirty one was a challenge though. The bloodied cotton had matted to my side where two large gashes protruded from my skin. I painfully peeled away at the fibers and then grabbed a towel to clean myself up in the shower.

"Stefan." Damon sighed as if he'd been waiting a long time for me.

"Not now, Damon. I don't have time for you." I tried to sound annoyed, but that had never stopped my brother before.

"_Alright_," Damon said nonchalantly. I just looked at him waiting for his routine, but he started walking away into the hall. It was over his shoulder when he said, "I see that _Elena_ isn't worth your time either. I'll just come back at a more convenient hour."

"Damon. Wait." He continued walking down the stairs. "Damon!"

"Just shut up and follow me. You'll see." I was fairly certain that I didn't want to see anything. Whatever it was it was most likely bad. After all, luck seemed to be in short supply around here. Walking down the stairs I pulled the fresh t-shirt over my head.

As soon as we entered the study I saw Elena laying on one of the couches. My heart threatened to skip a beat … which as far as threats go seemed pretty unimpressive. If I wasn't mistaken there appeared to be dark purple welts running along the side of her neck.

"What happened?" I hissed at Damon. If he laid a finger on Elena I would personally respond.

"Calm down. It was Katherine. She was here." He said indisputably as if that somehow explained everything. I'm sure he saw the rage that was building towards his calm so he quickly defended his position, "Oh don't give me that look. Where were you? This wouldn't even be an issue if you had been here to watch Elena."

"You're blaming this on me?" That was rich coming from the person who had failed to protect her within a five minute window.

"Look," Damon responded, "I didn't ask for Katherine to just show up here unannounced." There was nothing I could say to him. We couldn't fight Katherine if we were fighting each other. Not wanting to make our circumstances worse I chose to carry on in silence.

I took advantage of the quiet and carried Elena upstairs to let her rest on my bed. I set her down gently on the comforter not wishing to wake her, but the sores on her neck must have called her to consciousness. Her eyes opened, or rather squinted, as she woke up.

"What happened?"

"You don't remember? Katherine—"

"No," She frowned, "you're shirt." I looked down to see what she was talking about. "You're bleeding."

"I'm fine." I told her casually despite the fact that the blood started soaking through the fabric resembling an ink blot test. It was just like Elena to be concerned even though it was really herself she should be worried about.

Elena stood up to get a better look. I frowned back at her conveying that there was no need to worry, but she continued her trepidation by lifting up the left side of my shirt. I lifted my arm letting her examine what would most likely heal in a day or two.

"You need blood," Elena _almost_ read my mind. Surely it was animal blood she thought I needed, but blood nevertheless. I nodded.

"I'll be right back." I turned to leave wincing when the fabric rubbed against my wounds.

**Elena's POV**

As I waited in the study for Stefan to get his blood I thought about the next time I would face Katherine. It was silly to think Katherine would make a return visit so soon, but that likely meant she would. She always made a point to be unpredictable. Who was I kidding? Katherine had attacked me twice in one night. Who's to say that she wouldn't be here sooner rather than later?

I soon realized the study probably wasn't the best place to relax considering the night's events and silently cursed myself for not just staying in Stefan's room.

"You know that _human_ blood is the only thing that will heal him within any useful timeframe." Damon sat in the corner of the room pointedly looking at his whiskey glass filled with a red liquid. Of course he was in here. For how big this house was it was sure impossible to get a moment alone. I shouldn't complain. Being in the company of a Salvatore brother was as safe as I could get. Even if it was the less admirable, more pain in my ass brother. I would just have to tolerate Damon while Katherine was still an issue.

"Stefan is going to be alright." I told him. Damon was always there to remind you how the situation could always be worse.

"Let's just hope Katherine doesn't decide to reappear until then," Damon said as if proving my point.

"Damon." I gave him an exhausted expression.

He looked over at me seeming apologetic. I had already come to my own conclusions and didn't need a reminder. Besides, hearing Damon say it out loud just made it more ominous and looming. If Katherine did reappear Stefan wouldn't stand a chance. Then again, Katherine never wanted to hurt Stefan did she? It would more likely be Stefan getting himself hurt by trying to save me, and it already looked like he had gotten a good start. I had to protect myself from Katherine. I couldn't let Stefan put himself in danger.

There were really only two options. Either I put as much distance between me and Stefan as possible, or I somehow convince Stefan to drink human blood.


	4. Taste

**Elena's POV**

"Elena," I heard a light whisper in my ear and I smiled as I opened my eyes to the morning. I rolled over to my left and met Stefan's glorious face staring back at me.

I am definitely not looking forward to returning to my own bed. One good thing (perhaps the only good thing) about Katherine's visit was sleeping in Stefan's bed. Which if you think about it was kind of ironic considering that the terror always seemed to take place in the boarding house. But I always felt safe with Stefan and that would never change. I should probably get back home though. I'm sure Jenna wouldn't even have noticed my absence let alone minded, just one of the up sides to having a young adult as a parental figure.

"Good morning," I gave a gentle smile as Stefan was caressing his hand up and down my arm. Goosebumps rose on my skin which he responded to with a sly grin. Not the tender smile that I gave him, but a more fierce and taunting look. Some might shy away from such a countenance, but I was not afraid.

Stefan made his way towards my shoulder laying a path of gentle kisses along my collarbone and finally leading up along my neck. I hadn't realized I was holding my breath until he exhaled causing me to shiver slightly. Stefan took that as an invitation and rolled on top of me leaving enough space for maybe a sheet of paper. I couldn't resist anymore and I pressed our bodies together. Searching for his lips I tugged at the bottom of his shirt and pulled it off and then wrapped my legs around his waist.

"I love you," Another gentle whisper against my ear and his lips were along my neck again. Feeling intoxicated I let my eyes drift down Stefan's back and along the sheets. Before I even had time to gasp Stefan clasped tightly around both my wrists, pinning his waist to mine. I tried feverishly to push against his chest and force him off of me, but my efforts were to no avail. His teeth dug sharply into the spot just above my left breast. It was then that I spotted Katherine staring back at me from the corner of the room.

I woke up with my skin all clammy and feeling sick to my stomach as I relived the dream. Thankfully Stefan was not in his room to witness my jolt of fear. However, the relief did not last long once I realized he was gone.

"Stefan?" I quickly scanned the room for any sign of him, but when I found the room empty I walked over to the half open door. I tried not to picture Katherine hiding behind it, but couldn't help myself. I stuck my head out, but only found an empty hall. I relaxed a little and let out a sigh. I was scaring myself and for no reason. This was probably the safest place I could be. However, I still turned around to search the room for anything out of the ordinary… like a sadistic vampire.

Nope, all clear.

"What's wrong?" I jumped at the sound of Stefan's voice behind me. How ironic considering I was fine a second ago. Yet those two little unthreatening words resurfaced my fear.

"Nothing. You just scared me." I gave him a reassuring smile.

He set a glass of red liquid on a table before proceeding to walk towards me. "Your heart," he laid his hand flat upon my chest, "it's beating so fast. Are you sure you are ok?" His skin was warmer than usual which was probably due to the fresh blood in his system.

"Really it's nothing," I again tried to reassure him with a calm countenance, but he wasn't staring at my face anymore. His eyes were focused on my heart as his hand slid up along my chest and fitted itself around my neck just under my chin. I couldn't say anything to break his obvious concentration. His brow was furrowed as if he were immersed in a good book while all other distractions were muted. His eyes had moved with his hand and were now resting their gaze along my throat. As much as I tried to slow my heart I think it only beat faster. He must have noticed this, because all of a sudden he looked into my eyes and looked as if he was struggling to tell me something.

And then he was Stefan again. He gave me a sly smile and bent down to gently kiss my lips. "How'd you sleep?"

"Crappy," I was too tired to lie, "It's nothing though. I probably just need to sleep a little longer." Stefan gave me an incredulous look.

"What?" I asked.

"You've been sleeping going on twelve hours now." I followed his gaze as he glanced towards the clock.

"Hmm," I glared at the clock until it refused to change. I don't know why I felt so embarrassed. It really didn't feel like I had slept that long, yet my head felt like it weighed a ton and my eyes were still a bit foggy.

"Are you sure you're alright?"

"I'm fine, really." I guess that was good enough for Stefan. He led me over to his bed, pulled back the covers, and motioned for me to lie down. I eagerly hopped in snuggling down in between the sheets to get comfortable. Stefan's mouth curved up as he bent down and kissed my forehead.

"I'll be back in a bit."

"You're not staying?" I asked. It's not like there was much we would be doing if he had stayed. I already felt my eyes slipping into a coma. I was really still tired?

"No. I'm going to restock the freezer in the basement." Since Katherine has been showing up Stefan thought it wise to gather as much animal blood from the butcher and store it in the basement along with Damon's stash. I too thought this was a good idea so I didn't object when Stefan gave me a smile and softly closed the bedroom door.

I thought about what Damon had said to me last night. That Stefan would not survive another attack from Katherine if he didn't start drinking human blood. A part of me felt guilty for wanting Stefan to do it. I mean, if it helped his chances of surviving then I was all for it. It wasn't like he would go around killing anyone. He could use the blood bank like Damon had been doing. But Stefan would never agree to it and I wasn't going to ask.

Great. Now I was too stressed to fall asleep and face another nightmare. I sighed and then rolled on my back wincing when a flicker of pain shot through my chest. Surprised, I laid my hand over my heart and winced again realizing that the pain was coming from the surface of my skin. I pulled down the collar of my t-shirt and to my horror found a 3 inch cut above my left breast.


	5. Cure

Thanks for reading! Another chapter will be up soon, I promise :)

Please review!

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><p><strong>Elena's POV<strong>

I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

It took about a fraction of a second for me to realize the cut was in the same place where Stefan bit me in my dream. I couldn't help but shudder just thinking about Stefan's teeth on me. I hoped it was a fearful shudder, but a part of me also craved it. I silently appalled myself.

This wasn't real! Stefan didn't bite me and my dream was just that… a dream.

How could I even accuse Stefan? He would never do anything to hurt me and I knew that. A small voice in my head reminded me he was still a vampire, and I was still just a meek little human.

But that didn't quite make sense either. For one thing, Stefan had clearly used his teeth in my dream and looking down at my chest I could see a prominent red line. I definitely did not have this before I fell asleep. If it wasn't Stefan who did this to me and I was sure it wasn't self inflicted, that means that someone else was in the room with us last night.

For another fleeting second I wondered how the snowy white down comforter on top of me remained unspotted. Surely I wasn't just imagining the scarlet incision on my chest. I must be overlooking some obvious evidence of my attacker's presence. The scenario playing in my head told me there must be some other confirmation he had been here… or she.

Totally freaked out I jumped off the bed and headed for the door. I didn't know where I was going, but I wasn't going to stay in the scene of the crime. As I reached for the handle I saw that my hand was shaking uncontrollably. I quickly flung the door open, rounded the corner, and ran smack into someone's chest. Two hands grabbed the sides of my shoulders to steady me.

"Graceful," Damon said with eyebrows raised and a half-grin on his face. Of course it was Damon. It was always Damon that you ran into when you least wanted to see him. I tried to ignore that he was inches away from my face and readjusted my clothes.

"Yeah … well," And that was my reply. Brilliant. I could just imagine the smile that was no doubt forming on his mouth. When I didn't hear a laugh I looked up to see that his eyes were set in a stern glare.

"Are you bleeding?" He asked me. Startled by this question I too quickly replied, "No," and before I could stop him he grabbed my shirt and pulled sharply down revealing the cut on my breast which coincidentally _was_ bleeding. He frowned at me and then glanced over his shoulder listening for a sound I didn't hear.

"What is it?" I asked desperately.

"It's just Stefan. He's coming upstairs."

"No! He can't see this. Damon, please." I whispered hopefully low enough for Damon's ears only. He took a couple seconds deciding whether or not he should let Stefan find me. And then he shoved me into his room and shut the door.

"Where's Elena?" I could hear Stefan ask from the other side of the door.

"You mean she's not here?" Damon said with an undertone of mock concern. I could only roll my eyes. Why had I insisted Damon help me?

"Oh that's right," Damon said as if just remembering, "She's with Katherine. They went for mani-pedi's." This did not define helping.

"Damon, that's not funny and you know it." I nodded in agreement.

"Lighten up," Damon sighed, "I don't know where she went. Bonnie picked her up about ten minutes ago."

"If she comes back, tell her not to leave. I picked up Katherine's scent outside."

"Well, Stefan, that would probably be because she was here last night. Really it wouldn't kill you to drink a little AB-Positive," Damon said with heavy sarcasm.

"I'm not talking about last night. This trail was no older than a couple hours. I followed it to the edge of the woods with another scent I didn't recognize." My stomach fluttered at Stefan's words. Crap. Someone had been here while I was sleeping. Hearing Stefan confirm what I already knew just made the news ten times worse. I didn't understand though. How did they get into the boarding house without Stefan or Damon knowing?

I was too preoccupied with my own thoughts that I hadn't heard the end of their conversation. The door to Damon's room abruptly opened causing me to jump out of the way.

"Elena, you're white as a ghost." Damon said.

"I think all of this is just too much right now. I need to sit down." I looked around for a place to sit, but only saw Damon's bed which I felt uneasy about.

"It's not just that. I think you've lost a lot of blood," Damon faltered a little with his wording and his nose wrinkled, "You don't smell right."

"Ugh." I gave him a disgusted look which hopefully said 'stop smelling me'. I didn't know what else to say to him. As I walked away from Damon's stares I decided to sit on his bed after all.

I sat down and buried my face in my hands. "Stefan can't see me like this. I'm sure he'll want me to stay here again tonight, but I'm not sure that's a good idea."

"What do you mean? Just because he picked up Katherine's scent doesn't mean she's getting anywhere near you. I promise." Damon's voice was laced with anger. I wasn't sure how much I should tell him. I didn't want him to be even angrier knowing that Katherine _had_ been in the boarding house without either of them knowing.

Wait. _Had_ Katherine been here? I mean, if Stefan caught her scent right outside shouldn't he have noticed something was wrong when we were in his room? Her scent would have been everywhere. Not even Katherine could ignore those facts.

"Elena?" I snapped out of my reverie and looked up at Damon.

"I've got to go home."

"You can't go anywhere looking like that," Damon said. I did feel a little weak, buy my brain was so muddled with possible scenarios for last night that I thought it would explode any second if I didn't get out of here.  
>"Damon, I don't have a choice. I need to leave now." He walked towards me with a look that said I was an idiot.<p>

"I'm not sure you can walk out of here let alone get down those stairs without passing out. You need to drink from me." He held out his wrist slightly which totally caught me off guard. Drink from him? Uh, gross.

"Damon, please," I pushed against his chest, but he took my hand and pinned it to my side. He raised his other hand to his mouth and glided his sharp teeth along the inside of his wrist in one fluid movement. Blood instantly began to slide down his arm as he once again offered his wrist to me.

When I didn't take it he stared into my eyes and very softly said, "Elena, I _want_ you to drink from me."

"Damon, you can't compel me," I looked at him pointedly.

"I'm not," He looked annoyed. I wasn't sure that if I said no he wouldn't just hold me down and make me anyway.

"I can't." I finally said.

"Well you can't leave like this either, so which is it going to be." I watched as the blood along the cut dissipated and the cut itself began to heal. A small part of me began to panic and I realized that my body wanted to press my lips against his wrist. I think Damon noticed.

He lowered his wrist and backed away from me. I understood that he wanted this to be my choice. I glanced towards the door as if Stefan were to walk in any second. I knew I couldn't leave this room with an open wound on my chest.

What I did next I knew I would probably never forgive myself for, but it seemed like the only option I had. I walked briskly up in front of Damon before I changed my mind. Reaching around my neck I pulled at the clasp to my vervain necklace, unhooked it, and handed it to Damon.

"Ok, do it. Heal me."


	6. Healed

**Damon's POV**

"No funny business, Damon," Elena was cute when she didn't trust me. I beckoned for her to come closer, but she didn't move.

"I'm serious, Damon, I'm putting my trust in your hands and I don't want to regret it."

"You won't. You won't even like it, because you won't remember." I smiled playfully at her and got an eye roll in reply.

She walked a couple small steps towards me with her eyes on the ground.

"Elena, you have to look at me," I chided her with a laugh. "This won't work any other way."

With a sigh she lifted her head up to me and looked directly into my eyes. I tried not to smile but failed completely.

**Elena's POV**

I opened my eyes and found myself lying in my own bed in my own room. And then I remembered what I had let Damon do and the day flooded back to me. I looked at the time to see that it was three o'clock in the afternoon. Damon must have taken me home … or at least I hoped so. The only thing I could remember was taking off my necklace for him. Immediately my hand flew up to my chest where my necklace should be.

"Don't worry. I just healed you and drove you home." I noticed Damon standing in the corner of my room as I rolled the vervain locket between my fingers. A smile played at the corners of his mouth, "I promise that was it," he said.

I knew something else probably happened because, uh duh, it was Damon. However, I didn't challenge him. I was sure nothing good could come from hearing the truth.

"What about Jenna and Jeremy?" I asked. It would be so awkward to explain to them why Damon had escorted me home.

"I told them Stefan got you drunk in the middle of the afternoon," Damon shook his head and looked out the window with mock concern, "Of course, I insisted on driving you home since I was the only responsible and sober one," Damon gave me a quick smile, "Carrying you upstairs was the easy part."

I looked at Damon feeling ashamed for something I don't remember doing. "Thanks." He just laughed and gave me a small nod ending the conversation.

"Stefan knows you're not with Bonnie. I just came to tell you that he'll be over in the next couple hours, so by then you'll want to have changed out of the clothes you were wearing yesterday." I looked down to see that I was wearing the same shorts and t-shirt which I had been sleeping in at Stefan's and I suddenly felt bad for having to sneak around him. Not only am I hiding my dream and the events surrounding it, but I'm also allowing Damon to help me cover it up. Which by the way, Damon hasn't asked me a single question about. He obviously wasn't as concerned as I was with the consequences of lying to his brother.

"Thanks. I will," I told Damon and then he snuck out of my room. I didn't hear him walk down the stairs or open the front door so I was positive no one else in the house did either.

I got up, grabbed a clean pair of jeans and a tank top, and went into the bathroom that I shared with Jeremy. I set my clothes on the counter and examined myself in the mirror. I'm sure I did look a lot better than I had earlier; there was even a pink glow to my cheeks that wasn't normally there. I laughed at myself for thinking how good blood was for my complexion and continued to strip down to my bra and underwear.

When my shirt was off my eyes immediately went to the spot just above my breast where the cut had been. The cut was completely gone, but in its place was a small black mark. What is that? I got closer to the mirror to examine. Once I was practically inches away from my reflection I saw that the mark was a small smiley face written in permanent marker.

I'm going to kill Damon. He must think this was so funny. At least he wasn't taking the whole me drinking blood seriously which meant he wouldn't tell Stefan. Probably. I reached for a hand towel and began scrubbing the spot with soap and water. 

As Damon promised, Stefan showed up an hour after I took a shower and got dressed for the rest of the day. He looked distracted. Too distracted to even notice the bright red spot on my chest where I had scrubbed any evidence of Damon away.

"Hi," He said and gave me a quick kiss on the forehead.

"Is something wrong?"

"I found Katherine."

"You what?" Finding Katherine was not something you just dropped on me casually.

"I followed her scent thinking it would lead to a dead end somewhere in the woods, but it led me straight to her." He wasn't looking at my eyes, but had directed his attention towards the window of my bedroom which was starting to make me angry. Finding Katherine was a big deal and for some reason he wasn't acting like it was. I bit my tongue however expecting an explanation.

"So, was that it?" He looked at me for the first time. He then proceeded to tell me what happened as if he just realized I was there.

"I'm sorry. I couldn't kill her," he paused, "I never really thought about what I would do once I found her. I'm too weak to take her on right now."

I felt a little relieved although I still sensed I wasn't getting the whole story. I brushed the feeling aside and reached up to kiss Stefan. "It's okay." I said against his lips. I honestly never wanted him to approach Katherine, but how do you tell a vampire no?

Katherine's threats could be a little passive at times, but I knew how much power she possessed. She had a hundred plus years on the boys, and Stefan was practically useless without human blood in his system. He had already suffered a serious injury at Katherine's hand yesterday that he wouldn't completely heal from for another day or so.

I smiled up at Stefan aware of his eyes on my face, "I love you."

"I love you too," he replied. Stefan gently placed his hand on the side of my face and kissed me more deeply than I had kissed him. It certainly wasn't unwelcome and I grabbed at his t-shirt sliding my right hand up along his stomach and down the side of his ribs.

It wasn't until after this point that I noticed, or rather didn't notice, the gash Katherine had left along his ribs. I abruptly pulled away from Stefan mid-kiss and looked down at his stomach to see nothing of Katherine's damage. I saw with my own eyes this morning how bad the wound was and it should have taken at least another day or two to completely disappear.

But there was no gash, no scar… nothing. It was as if it was never there to begin with.


	7. Torn

**Elena's POV**

"Umm," I looked unblinking at Stefan's abs, "You're healed. I mean... Stefan, I don't even see a scar." My hand mindlessly ran along the curve of his stomach where the cut had seemingly disappeared.

"You drank human blood." I didn't mean for it to sound like a fact, but what else could have been done to accelerate the healing process?

Stefan quickly pulled down his shirt so I would quit staring at his stomach and then glared at me with an accusatory eye as if I should have come to another conclusion... as if when I took a closer look, I'd see that the gash Katherine left behind was indeed still there.

'_Oops, my bad, Stefan, sorry… I was wrong.'_

But I wasn't mistaken. His wound was completely gone.

I suddenly got the nagging feeling that I should not press the matter further. Stefan's fists were clenched at his sides and the veins lining his forearms threatened to pop out of his skin. He was becoming agitated, but surely not at me?

My eyebrows raised and I opened my mouth to question my suspicions when he stopped me. I was instantly grateful for not having to inquire my suspicions out loud after all, "I know what it looks like," he said.

"I'm not sure _I_ do," I said in a small voice. That wasn't exactly an inquiry. I didn't want to accuse Stefan of drinking human blood but there was just no other explanation.

He must have been hiding this from me, but rather than be angry about Stefan tasting a human, I was pissed off that this information had so easily slipped my observation.

I guess I had been too preoccupied with my dream this morning to notice any weird vibes emanating from him. I instinctively looked down towards my chest where just a couple hours ago I had hid a wound of my own… how ironic.

Wait. Oh my god. My dream.

Did I only imagine Stefan's body on mine, teeth sinking into my skin? And the proof I woke up with.

Stefan didn't taste just any human… that human was me.

No. There was no way. Stefan would never do such a thing. Yet, human blood was what Stefan needed to heal and during the course of the night I had had a significant amount of blood drained from me.

I had also had blood put back into my system shortly after. This recollection made me somewhat self-conscious and I shifted nervously which failed to escape Stefan's eyes.

He interrupted my reverie by lifting my chin with his finger.

"Elena?" I nodded absently, my mind wandering around the events of the day while trying to put them in some kind of cohesive order. If Stefan somehow got his teeth on me… I shuddered to think.

Afraid that I might slip up and say something stupid I simply chose to say nothing at all.

Instead I walked over to my dresser and looked at myself in the mirror grabbing my hair to pull back in a ponytail. I had to keep my hands busy; I couldn't just stand their in silence with Stefan looking at me expectantly. He was waiting for me to blame him for something that I wasn't quite positive he _didn't_ do. But I wouldn't bring into the light his sins of the day releasing any guilt he may have been abhorring. He wasn't the only one who had kept a secret today.

Distracted by my own issues I hadn't notice Stefan approach me from behind. I saw his reflection in the mirror and when I caught sight of his face I saw that a hunger glazed his eyes. All I could do was stay frozen in place.

Stefan stood behind me resting his hands on my shoulders.

Without meeting my eyes in the mirror, he gently trailed both hands down my arms raising goose bumps along the way. His hands then reached each wrist and laid them on the dresser in front of me with a sudden force that made my breathing falter. I could feel his firm body pressed against my back. His skin was warm including his lips when he gently kissed the spot just below my left ear.

I wondered if he forgot I could see his face in the mirror. His eyes turned a crimson red as his teeth gently skimmed the surface of my neck. I couldn't help shiver at the feeling and my pulse began to quicken as I was sure he would sink his teeth in me at any moment. I couldn't tell him to stop. I couldn't say anything at all.

If I was asleep, now would be the perfect time to wake up.

But I didn't. Tiny flickers of my dream ran through my head just as a low growl began building in his throat.

Before I could react, the window of my bedroom suddenly flew open causing a strong breeze to swirl around the room. In a matter of seconds, Stefan had my back pressed up against the bedroom door, his back to me, and both hands on either side of my waist. I saw the menace in Stefan's eyes reflected in the window behind Damon.

By the look on Damon's face he was just as confused as I was. He approached Stefan without hesitation and held out a hand.  
>"Stefan. Move away from Elena." Stefan refused to unpin himself from me and step away so Damon grabbed a handful of him and threw him roughly to the ground so fast that I barely caught it.<p>

Stefan stood up ready to retaliate, but after catching a glimpse of himself in the mirror his countenance changed to forced composure. He turned to see my face which was filled with a mixture of concern and fear.

"Out," Damon said and without delay Stefan walked to the window and disappeared.

* * *

><p>I spent most of my dream that night running from Stefan while he chased me with bloodthirsty eyes. As I was running I ran into a figure standing in my way and when I looked up I saw that it was Damon. His eyes were bloodthirsty too, but he stared past me at his brother with the deepest most furious growl on his lips. He was crouched over me in a protective stance as he challenged his brother.<p>

I woke up before I saw who was left standing.

* * *

><p>I stood at the edge of the Mystic Falls Cemetery on the top of a little grassy hill enjoying the sunshine and unusually cool yet warm breeze that only seemed to exist as Mother Nature transitioned from spring to summer.<p>

This was one of my favorite times of the year.

Not because school was out or the sun was just coming out of hibernation, but because everything felt new and alive. I looked around feeling very peaceful.

I noticed that the birds shared this feeling for they didn't seem to mind my close proximity and they began flocking around me.

I would not allow any bad thoughts on this beautiful day. I refused to believe Katherine still roamed freely around Mystic Falls challenging the lives of my friends and family. I refused to think about the possibility of Stefan feeding off of me. And I certainly refused to think about a blood exchange that may or may not have happened with Damon… including what possible sins I allowed him to commit when I willingly handed over my memory.

All of a sudden the birds that were so peaceful a moment ago simultaneously flew into the air as if on cue they were as disgusted with my life as I was. Even the birds denied my presence. That is, with the exception of one single black crow that was perched directly in front of me.

"Do breathing things always flee from you?" My line of vision was on the crow, but I was really talking to the person approaching my back.

"Not always. You're still here." Damon's voice hinted a note of disappointment rather than sarcasm.

"That would count for something if I was actually afraid of you." I smirked slightly which prompted Damon to grip both his hands on either side of my arms forcing me to stand up and stay put in all of about two seconds. Damon was just trying to scare me showing me that I had every reason to be afraid of something like him, a vampire, and my natural enemy. Like his brother… who may have killed me last night if it wasn't for Damon's interference.

Damn, a peaceful day was just too much to ask for.

When he moved closer to me his face became serious and his eyes focused on my neck. His human face gave me a slight smirk which was by all accounts very creepy. My body actually began poking me to run.

"My blood is still in your system," Damon said. I thanked him for the revelation and reminder of my sins with narrowed eyes but he continued, "I know, because you smell…" He paused as if trying to choose the right words and as he did so his irises got a few shades darker and the veins underneath snaked faintly away from his otherwise serene demeanor.

I patiently waited for the rest of his sentence, "You smell like you're mine."

I couldn't help but shudder and although Damon would have usually taken advantage of my frazzled state he began retreating instantly showing me his human face once again.

"Which certainly must mean you're not," he finished. He gave me a quick sarcastic smile and then continued on his way leaving me alone in the cemetery… peaceful feeling gone.

* * *

><p>I walked home in a rather cranky mood.<p>

I was really tired of being snuck up on and taunted by vampires. A small part of me wished Katherine would stop messing around and come out to play already. I was sure she had some grand plan to which I was immensely tired of waiting around for. Being fed spoonfuls of destruction at a time did not fit in well with my already stressful schedule. I'd almost rather die and be done with vampires than die from anticipation.

I hadn't realized until now how serious a role my life had taken. And here I was, standing in the middle of it, brushing any danger aside as if I wasn't a vulnerable and weak little human.

Somehow I knew Stefan must have taken blood from me the night of my dream, but there was no way to prove it or even have a conversation with him about it.

Damon still hadn't asked me a single question about why he covered for me. Or why I was partially drained of blood in the first place. I should be concerned with his lack of concern, but I felt too exhausted to open that door. It was all too weird in itself. And knowing Damon it was probably more trouble than it's worth.

I was too worried with Stefan finding out about my dream, which I now thought he may have had a hand in himself, that I never even gave thought to what Damon could have done to me when I handed him my vervain necklace. That piece of jewelry was my only real protection against a vampire and I had carelessly given it away.

I was so stupid.

When I finally got home I took notice that the bottom level was unusually quiet. When I reached the top of the stairs I glanced in Jeremy's room and then Jenna's, but both came up empty. I let out a little sigh of relief. It's not like my house was ever crowded, but being alone right now to think was a huge reprieve.


	8. Tempted

**Author's Note: Wrote this tonight and wanted to post right away... Thank you for the lovely reviews :)**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>Elena's POV<strong>

I stared at the clock over the fireplace watching the seconds tick by. It was six o'clock. No wait, nine o'clock. I flipped myself around, right side up. The blood was rushing out of my head giving me a high.

I had sat here on the couch for the last half hour debating whether I should call Stefan or just go to the boarding house unannounced. More importantly, I was grappling with the idea of confronting Damon. I needed to know what happened when he compelled me to drink his blood. I couldn't stand to be in the dark anymore. I couldn't hide that it wasn't bothering me. I had to know.

Decision made, I threw on my shoes and headed out the door.

**Damon's POV**

I had grudgingly gotten past the first two pages of the most recently popular vampire novel when I heard Elena downstairs.

"Thank God," I chucked the book as far as I could, glad to have an interruption and listened for a clue as to where Elena was headed. Stefan happened to be out at the moment which I was shamelessly glad about. His presence was frequently scarce these days.

As soon as I heard Elena's feet hit the floor of the upstairs hallway I ripped off the sheet uncovering my naked body. I waited in the nude… which happened to be something else I was shameless about.

"Damon!" Elena slapped her hand over her eyes as I held back a chuckle.

"Well what did you expect, Elena? This is my room and you came bursting in like the Hulk on Christmas morning."

"Put your clothes back on!" She screamed at me.

"I'm okay actually." I assumed she was frowning at me, but it was hard to tell when half her face was covered by her hand.

"Pleeease put your clothes on. I need to talk to you." I smiled at her request and silently got off the bed to shrug on a pair of white silk boxers.

"If I make you nervous I can put a bag over my head."

"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself. Meanwhile, I'm scarred for life… I'm never going to look at you the same." Elena said.

"Good." I said softly, standing just inches away from her body.

Elena moved her hand out of the way to take in just how close I had gotten to her. A little frazzled, she took a step back and then became quite serious.

"I need to talk to you about the other night. About what happened when you compelled me."

"Ah. _I_ thought you didn't want to remember. You gave me your necklace so you wouldn't. Or had you forgotten?" I squinted, a little confused with my reply.

"Just tell me."

"No."

I turned my back on her and walked towards the bed once again. Elena may want to know what happened that night, but I wasn't giving up the goods so easily. Plus, there were some things Elena may not want to know about that night.

I couldn't help but revisit the scene in my head.

There were only two people that knew what happened that night, and Elena wasn't one of them…

...

"No funny business, Damon," Elena was cute when she didn't trust me. I beckoned for her to come closer, but she didn't move.

"I'm serious, Damon, I'm putting my trust in your hands and I don't want to regret it."

"You won't. You won't even like it, because you won't remember." I smiled playfully at her and got an eye roll in reply.

She walked a couple small steps towards me with her eyes on the ground.

"Elena, you have to look at me," I chided her with a laugh. "This won't work any other way."

With a sigh she lifted her head up to me and looked directly into my eyes. I tried not to smile but failed completely.

"Elena?"

"Yes?" Elena said, her voice expressing an offhand tone. Her eyes soon turned innocent resembling a doe. This told me the compulsion was taking effect as did the heavy dilation of her pupils.

"Elena, listen carefully. You aren't going to remember anything that happens from this point on until you are in your bed at home." Elena nodded in reply.

"I won't remember anything until I am in bed at home." Elena recited back to me.

I would have to say she's good and enthralled… but… perhaps I should test that theory. Just to be sure.

"Elena?" I said again with a soft smile.

"Yes, Damon?" Good so far.

"Please place your hand on my stomach." Immediately Elena placed two hands palm down on my abdomen.

"Just one hand please," She let the left one fall while the right remained in place.

"Now move this hand lower." I pointed to the hand on my stomach and she dropped it to land right above my belt buckle with no hesitation in her movement.

"_Lower_." Still farther her hand gently skimmed the surface landing on the front of my slacks, which happened to be thinner than one would assume.

I soon found myself needlessly stealing a moment to wonder what would happen if I told Elena to reach up and undo the belt loop.

Feeling a jolt of anticipation, I snapped back to the present. I knew that if I made that request I wouldn't be able to cease fire.

"Alright Elena you can have your hand back." A little confused she released her hand and let it drop to her side.

I felt a sense of power envelope me. I had Elena here, all to myself, with no one to stop me from doing whatever I wanted with her. To her. To me.

Hell, Damon, now you've worked yourself up for nothing. I shifted unconsciously trying to relieve some of the pressure building below my belt.

I snickered. Who was I kidding? I could not keep that ball of secrecy from Elena. I know I'm cocky, but my face alone would give it away.

"Plus, you would kill me." I mused out loud.

"No I wouldn't." said the innocent doe again.

"Don't tempt me to act on my impulses then." I said with a teasing growl.

"Besides it was a joke." I grinned widely, "And you'll never remember this anyway." I continued in a higher voice, the dumb grin still on my face. Elena only mimicked my expression.

I may not be able to live out my deepest most darkest fantasies with Elena, but I could surely leave a piece of this night behind.

Inspiration took hold of me. Or perhaps I was feeling a little facetious. I walked behind me to the large brown oak desk and retrieved a sharpie trapped at the back of the drawer. I turned around and beckoned for Elena to come closer.

She complied, standing in front of me with a simple look on her face. I tugged down the low-cut collar on her shirt and printed a small smiley face just above her breast. This should be plenty innocent, but still enough to keep Elena guessing. I smiled once again, wondering if I would be able to catch Elena's reaction when she found my surprise.

"Perfect." I stuck the cap back on the sharpie and mindlessly threw it behind me.

Suddenly, hearing a noise, I snapped my head sideways to look at the doorknob to the bedroom which began to turn.

How would I explain this situation to Stefan if he walked in? I was standing in front of his girlfriend, her vervain necklace lying on the bedside table several feet away, and an open wound on Elena's chest that I hadn't gotten to heal yet.

_Stefan, hey! Me and Elena were just playing doctor. Don't expect Elena to answer any questions, she has amnesia. Shhh._

But it wasn't Stefan.

One high stiletto peaked through the edge of the doorframe which was quickly followed by Katherine's profile.

"Why Damon," Katherine said with mock exasperation, "What do we have here?" She walked in leaving the door open behind her. I assumed it didn't matter anyway, if Stefan was in the house he would be able to hear whether the door was open or not. I was positive I had heard him leave regardless.

"Katherine," I said in a tight voice, "can't you see I'm a little busy?"

"I see that. Please, do continue." Katherine continued to stroll around the bedroom flipping a Zippo lighter and making contact with nothing in particular. That is until she approached the bedside table and lifted Elena's necklace in the air.

She looked pointedly at the curious piece of jewelry, "I assumed you'd go for the shirt first." Katherine shrugged, then proceeded to twirl Elena's necklace around her fingers walking once again.

I stared at Elena who was following Katherine around the room just as I had been. I grabbed at her chin and pulled her face to mine. I needed to get my blood in her system before Katherine bided enough time for Stefan to come back and realize what had happened.

"Elena," I said and she waited for my command, "when I hand you my wrist you're going to put it to your lips and drink my blood. Okay?"

Elena nodded in understanding. I glanced behind her at Katherine who was pretending to find interest in books and other relics around the room.

Looking in Elena's eyes the whole time I brought my wrist up and sunk my teeth into the most sensitive part of the flesh. I then offered it to Elena who took it willingly.

A small part of me was simply turned on by her action and a little prideful. Her eagerness to have a part of me was invigorating. And her lips felt good against the sensitive flesh.

Too bad the feeling wasn't real and wouldn't last. Elena would soon forget any of this happened.

I seconded a glance at Katherine who now had her full attention on Elena and I.

I took my limb from Elena's grasp then. It should have been just enough to begin the healing process. Her breathing was heavy when I pulled away. I had forgotten she'd need a moment to breath.

I pulled Elena's shirt aside one more time to see the wound start to change before my eyes. In the meantime, Katherine had approached us returning Elena's trinket to her neck...

...

Nothing bad had actually happened that night, but there was no point in bothering Elena with the details. I couldn't help it if she felt guilty because of it.

"Please, Damon, tell me exactly what happened." Elena waited patiently for my reply.

My eyes were squinted as I was briefly tempted to tell her everything, "No."

* * *

><p><strong>I was going to put the flashback in italics but it was just so long that I thought it would take away from the scene... And it was about time we learned what happened to Elena!<strong>

**Please review :)**


	9. Ignite

**Damon's POV**

"What?" Elena's eyes gradually turned from desperation to anger as she realized I really wasn't going to tell her anything.

"Maybe it's for your own good that you remain ignorant." I looked at her pointedly, the fierceness in my eyes rolling off in waves.

I could tell Elena was resolved to know the truth, but this might slow her down a day or two. Hopefully that would be enough time for me to figure out why Katherine made an appearance in my room and what kind of game she was playing.

Elena only glared at me which was what I expected. At least that ought to buy me some time.

A couple minutes of silence passed while Elena wondered what she could do to change my mind and I, unaffected, began putting on some clothes. Not long after, Stefan strolled in with a fresh cup of blood in his hand. He looked marginally better than the last time I saw him which was the night I caught him nearly taking a bite out of Elena. I assumed from the expression on Elena's face that this was her first sighting of senseless Stefan as well.

"What's going on?" Stefan said with a furrowed brow. I was wondering what he saw in our faces. We must have looked anticipatory for an attack, but could he blame us? Lately Stefan's actions had turned foggy with a side of unpredictable. Whatever was going on with him would lead to no good and in the end he would likely hurt himself… or more critically, he would surely hurt Elena.

"Nothing, brother," I said after hooking the first hole in my belt and looping it through the buckle. I gave him a sarcastic smile not really aiming to piss him off but succeeding anyway. What can I say, it came naturally. Bull's-eye.

Stefan made an effort to ignore me and busily glanced around the room landing his eyes on an item he found interesting enough… most likely something reflectant and shiny. I snorted and grabbed at the first shirt I saw which was sprawled on my otherwise clutterless bed. I directed my attention to Stefan once again when he began flipping open a Zippo lighter he had found on my night stand. It was quite interesting that he chose that piece to examine. And ironically he _had_ found something shiny to play with. I laughed to myself attracting the attention of everyone in the room until Stefan made eye contact with Elena.

"Can we talk?" He said to Elena and without another word they walked out the door, but not before Elena had time to glance over her shoulder and throw a glare my way. I guess this would _not_ be the end of our conversation. A silent smirk molded my face as they left my bedroom.

My face dropped when I noticed that Katherine's lighter had failed to find its place back on my night stand.

**Stefan's POV**

"We don't need to talk, Stefan, whatever happened the other night is done and over with." Elena sounded so sure that I really, really wanted to let it go.

Unfortunately, I didn't believe I could. Recently everything had become so muddled.

I was afraid I could no longer keep a steady hold on my relationship with Elena. My impulses and my reason were askew which I felt at times helpless to overcome. All my senses had become heightened.

I no longer just felt Elena's presence near me, but could smell her blood from the other room and hear her heart beat rhythmically when we touched as if I controlled the heart itself. A kiss between the two of us now turned into a fight to control the impulse for more. More of everything. Her heart, her blood, her body.

This all scared the hell out of me. Unfortunately, this wasn't the worst of it.

As much as I wanted to lie to Damon and Elena, I knew the blood bank I stored in my own separate freezer downstairs must be human blood instead of the generic animal variety. The only reason I remained in denial was because Damon hadn't figured it out yet.

And as much as I wanted to lie to myself, I knew I had Elena's blood coursing through my veins. Somehow, I knew this to be true although I have no memory of ever biting her. I could feel the power in my blood.

I felt the warmth radiate from Elena as she stepped closer to me looking at the lighter in my hand that I hadn't realized I'd liberated from my pocket. I looked down at the shiny silver and allowed myself a quick glance at the 'S.S' engraved in the bottom right corner before I covered it with my thumb.

"Did you take this from Damon's room?" Elena asked.

"Yes, I don't know why he had it," I said, genuinely confused. "It's my lighter. I haven't seen it for years."

More accurately, I hadn't seen the lighter in a couple decades. The last time it graced my presence was in 1942 before Katherine stole it. I later heard she used it to light a barn on fire that had been used to store bushels of vervain. Normally Katherine wouldn't have even bothered, but compelling people in the town had become so strenuous that she gave up.

What she didn't know was that I had helped those people obtain the vervain to protect the town, and I did it once again when she moved on.

It is pretty stupid for a vampire to mess around with fire considering the spontaneous combustion part and all. However it is the best way to destroy vervain, and the vervain was what stood between Katherine and what she wanted… to compel others and have control over the townsfolk.

It doesn't take long for Katherine to find loop holes around any situation she finds inconvenient. She's always thinking of herself in these situations by finding ways to make her life easier. When she couldn't rid the town of vervain, Katherine built up a tolerance by ingesting a little every day. I'm not sure she had actually tested how much she was vulnerable to now, but I assumed she could hold a blossom in her hand and be unaffected.

We were such fools to think we could protect any human from her.

I began turning over Elena's locket in my hand.

The only person who the trinket really protected her from was me. I looked into Elena's eyes and gave her a soft smile brushing the back of my hand against her cheek. If she could hear the thoughts that entered my head, I'm sure she would think the locket a good idea.

I myself would not test my self control if I found out the vervain was no longer safely below her neckline.

I ran my thumb along the outer edges of Elena's locket, catching my nail between the grooves where the latch held the two halves together. When I brought my finger away I noticed that a dark powdery residue was left behind, the kind of fine powder similar to flour or… ash.

I froze suspecting that the powder might burn.

As images of 1942 played in my head once again, realization dawned on me.

I let my impulse take over and did the only thing I felt I could do at that moment.

"Please leave… now." I said to Elena, and without a word she walked out of the room.

* * *

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